1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens-fitted photo film unit, a method of mounting a wrapping on the same, and a method of removing the wrapping from the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lens-fitted photo film unit of which a housing has a wrapping disposed thereabout, a method of mounting the wrapping on the same, and a method of removing the wrapping from the same, both in efficient fashion.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A lens-fitted photo film unit is known, and disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,685 (corresponding to JP-A 5-19419). The lens-fitted photo film unit includes a housing, which incorporates a simple shutter mechanism, and is pre-loaded with unexposed photo film. The housing has a packaging or wrapping disposed thereabout. When a user purchases the lens-fitted photo film unit, he or she can take an exposure readily with it. After taking all exposures on the photo film, the lens-fitted photo film unit can be forwarded to a photofinishing agent without a difficult operation. The lens-fitted photo film unit is commercially marketed in a large scale.
The lens-fitted photo film unit is loaded with the photo film in the course of the manufacture. It is necessary to protect the photo film from moisture before a user actually uses the lens-fitted photo film unit after the manufacture. The lens-fitted photo film unit is firmly wrapped in a water-tight outer packaging bag by a manufacturer, and shipped out. The user tears open the outer packaging bag before he or she uses the lens-fitted photo film unit.
The lens-fitted photo film unit has an advantage of a low cost. To reduce the manufacturing cost, the wrapping to cover the housing consists of a paper box having a decoratively printed surface. The paper box includes six cover regions as rectangular faces and an overlapped region, which in combination constitute one piece of paper. The paper piece is bent straight along each of edges. Also Japanese Utility Model Application No. 3-56924 suggests the lens-fitted photo film unit of which a sheet strip like a belt is used as a wrapping to cover the housing. The sheet strip is wound about the center of the housing. Ends of the sheet strip are attached to one another by virtue of an adhesive agent. Two lateral portions of the housing remain uncovered. This has an advantage in facilitation of assembling operation. Appearance of the lens-fitted photo film unit is also enhanced, as the sheet strip can give a minimized impression to purchasers.
Whichever type of the wrapping is used, the cover regions and the overlapped region are adhered to one another to set the wrapping completely. There is a shortcoming in the wrapping, which is likely to project outwards away from the housing, to render the appearance of the lens-fitted photo film unit remarkably worse. To overcome this shortcoming, Japanese Utility Model Application No. 2-57427 suggests the lens-fitted photo film unit in which the wrapping is directly adhered to the housing for the purpose of tight contact between them.
To attach the wrapping, synthetic adhesive agent, for example, polyvinyl alcohol adhesive agent, is typically used. The adhesive agent essentially-consists of synthetic resin as main component, which is resolved with organic solvent. The organic solvent is volatilized to solidify the main synthetic resin. As the outer packaging bag above is used for enclosing the lens-fitted photo film unit, there is a problem due to the organic solvent. When the lens-fitted photo film unit is wrapped without complete volatilization of the organic solvent, organic gas is created, and remains inside the outer packaging bag without dispersion. It is likely that the photo film pre-loaded in the lens-fitted photo film unit is degraded by the organic gas.
To economize natural resources and lessen industrial wastes, there are suggestions of recycling the lens-fitted photo film unit. When a user forwards the lens-fitted photo film unit to a photofinishing agent after exposing the photo film, the lens-fitted photo film unit is collected from the agent to a photo laboratory, where the photo film is removed from the lens-fitted photo film unit and subjected to development and operation of producing photo prints. The lens-fitted photo film unit after the removal of the photo film is withdrawn by the manufacturer. The manufacturer peels the wrapping from the housing, and disassembles the housing into parts. Reusable ones of them are transferred to a manufacturing process, and remounted on a new product. Meltable ones of them are pelleted, and recycled as regenerated material. The wrapping is also recycled in a form of regenerated paper.
For the lens-fitted photo-film unit in which the wrapping is directly attached to the housing, the wrapping must be peeled partially by a cutter blade of a specialized shape, and then pulled away manually from the housing, before the wrapping can be removed from the housing according to a known technique. However the wrapping of every product must be individually peeled by manual operation, which is inefficient and inconsistent with a low cost of manufacture.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of removing the wrapping from a lens-fitted photo film unit in an efficient fashion, and the same lens-fitted photo film unit, and a method of mounting the wrapping on the same.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a lens-fitted photo film unit has a wrapping member which is wound about at least one portion of the housing in belt-like fashion, and attached to the housing with water soluble adhesive agent. A substantially straight groove is formed in an outside of the housing, and extended transverse to a direction of winding the wrapping member, the groove having two distal ends, and being covered between the distal ends by the wrapping member.
To remove the wrapping member, relative movement is effected, for the lens-fitted photo film unit to move relative to a cutter blade while the lens-fitted photo film unit is contacted on the cutter blade, the cutter blade being disposed as high as the groove in the housing, and cutting the wrapping member along the groove. A cut end of the wrapping member, cut by the cutter blade, is pulled away from the groove, so as to peel the wrapping member from the housing.
Furthermore, the housing is rotated while the cut end is pulled, about an axis substantially parallel with the groove.
In a preferred embodiment, the wrapping member includes a sheet strip which is arranged transverse to a borderline defined between a front cover and a rear cover of the housing, and wound about at least the one portion of the housing in belt-like fashion.
A variant wrapping member includes a sheet, which comprises a strip portion wound about at least the one portion of the housing in belt-like fashion, and first and second flaps disposed to project respectively from longer sides of the strip portion and directed opposite to each other. The wrapping member is arranged transverse to a borderline defined between the front cover and the rear cover.
To mount the wrapping member on the housing, a sheet strip is supplied as the wrapping member, there being a front opening formed in the wrapping member, there being a projecting portion disposed to project from the front cover for protecting at least the taking lens, and insertable in the front opening. The wrapping member is mounted on a front of the housing while the projecting portion is inserted in the front opening. The wrapping member is transverse to a borderline defined between the front cover and the rear cover. After mounting the wrapping member on the front of the housing, the wrapping member is mounted serially on plural mounting faces of the housing, to wind the wrapping member about the housing in belt-like fashion.
Furthermore, at least one face of the housing is held while a front of the housing is directed upwards, the at least one face is different from the front and from the plural mounting faces. The wrapping member is placed on the housing being held, the projecting portion being inserted in the front opening in the wrapping member.
In another preferred embodiment, a recess is formed in an outside of the housing, for reducing thickness of a wall of the housing, the recess being covered by the wrapping member at least partially, and an outer edge of the recess being obtuse with curvature.
Furthermore, at least one ridge is formed in the recess of the housing, arranged in striped fashion or grating fashion, for reinforcing the wall of the housing, the ridge being covered by the wrapping member at least partially, and an edge of the ridge being obtuse with curvature.
In still another preferred embodiment, the housing also incorporates a release lever for actuating the shutter mechanism. An opening is formed in the housing, wherein the release lever or a movable portion of the shutter mechanism emerges through the opening at least partially. A wrapping member is mounted on at least one portion of the housing, attached to the housing with adhesive agent, for covering and closing the opening. A minutely uneven pattern is formed at least on a surface of the release lever or the movable portion emerging through the opening, for preventing the release lever or the movable portion from fixation on the wrapping member with the adhesive agent.
Furthermore, the adhesive agent comprises pressure sensitive adhesive agent. The wrapping member includes a sheet strip wound about at least the one portion of the housing in belt-like fashion.
In the present invention, the wrapping member can be removed from a lens-fitted photo film unit in efficient fashion.